SOFREP Daily Brief

F35 gets its feet wet in aircraft carrier trials

The pair of JSFs and approximately 200 members of the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) deployed aboard the Eisenhower during the first two weeks of October for the Developmental Test Phase II, otherwise known as DT-II. Following the first round of testing aboard… – FighterSweep.com

Can NSA crack public key encryption

Much ink has been expended over the past few months over the Administration’s floated idea of requiring encryption back doors in new technology implementions — an idea that, for now, the Administration has put to rest. But the whole issue is only relevant in… – Lawfare

CIA guide to estimating state instability

Estimating state instability is more than warning. It is a structured analysis of instability types, their likelihood and potential impact on US national interests, and their most likely and most dangerous manifestations. This kind of analysis goes beyond determining probabilities. It also structures scenarios and evaluates the potential impact of events. – Central Intelligence Agency

Iran commits to Assad/Putin alliance in Syria

Pictures of General Qassem Soleimani, one of Iran’s top military leaders, began to circulate on Twitter on Tuesday, claiming that the commander was in Syria to take the lead on Iranian military operations there himself. – BuzzFeed News

Manhunting in the Hindu Kush

In the complex world of remote killing in remote locations, labeling the dead as “enemies” until proven otherwise is commonplace, said an intelligence community source with experience working on high-value targeting missions in Afghanistan, who provided the documents on the Haymaker campaign. The process often depends on assumptions or best guesses in provinces like Kunar or Nuristan, the source said… – The Intercept_

[Featured image: A village security force commander and coalition special operations forces identify insurgent fighting positions during a daylong firefight in Nuristan province, Afghanistan, April 12, 2012. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense]

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